This invention relates to a toaster/oven with removable cooking chamber side liners which also function as rack supports.
Prior art toaster/ovens include a housing and a cooking chamber defined within the housing by a cooking chamber top panel, a cooking chamber bottom panel, cooking chamber side panels and a cooking chamber rear panel. A door is pivotally mounted to the housing and pivotal between an open position whereby food items can be inserted and removed from the cooking chamber and a closed position closing the cooking chamber. The door also can be provided with stop means to hold it in a partially open broil position.
The cooking chamber side panels include means for supporting one or more racks on which food items or containers for food items may be placed. In a recent development in toaster/ovens, a rack may incorporate a temperature sensor on which bread or the like being toasted by the toaster/oven is placed. The temperature sensor monitors the toasting operation for a highly accurate degree of toasting result. The rack includes one portion of the plug connector for connecting the temperature sensor into the control circuit of the toaster/oven, and the other portion of the plug connector is positioned on the cooking chamber side panel wherein the portions of the plug connector are connected when the rack is mounted in the cooking chamber.
Toaster/ovens are useful in a wide variety of cooking processes, including baking, warming, broiling, browning and toasting. In the course of carrying out these cooking processes, the interior of the cooking chamber tends to become soiled. In particular, grease and liquid food from containers can splash or splatter onto the cooking chamber side panels, and become baked on and difficult to remove.
Cleaning of the cooking chamber can be facilitated by mounting the door in a removable manner wherein the door can be cleaned separately from the rest of the cooking chamber and access to the cooking chamber for cleaning is enhanced. Cleanability of the cooking chamber may be further enhanced by providing a removable rear cooking chamber panel which also defines the rear of the toaster/oven housing, whereby removal of the removable rear cooking chamber panel permits access for cleaning the interior cooking chamber panels from the rear. Nevertheless, any improvement in the ease of cleaning the interior of the cooking chamber would be a welcome additional advance in toaster/ovens.